Regional spinal cord blood flow in the rabbit, cat and monkey

Abstract

Regional blood flow in the spinal cord was measured in rabbits, cats and monkeys [Macaca irus] with radioactively labeled microspheres. The reproducibility of the method was tested in rabbits by 3 consecutive determinations with differently labeled microspheres within the different cord regions, and was good. In all 3 species, the blood flow was higher in the lumbar part of the cord than in the thoracic part, and in rabbits and monkeys it was also higher in the cervical than in the thoracic part. The flow values for the cervical, lower thoracic and lumbar parts of the cord in rabbits were 33.3, 24.7 and 27.3 ml/min/100 g, respectively, and in monkeys the respective figures were 14.9, 10.5 and 19.7 ml/min/100 g. Corresponding values for cats were only obtained during moderate hyperventilation, and were 12.2, 10.6 and 15.4 ml/min/100 g, respectively.